Symptoms and negative emotions in patients with advanced thyroid cancer: a prospective cross-sectional study

Background There is no relevant research on the symptoms and emotions of patients with advanced thyroid cancer in mainland China. Aim To investigate the symptoms and negative emotions of patients with advanced thyroid cancer and to analyze the correlation between the two preliminarily. Methods Using a convenience sampling method, 180 patients who visited a multidisciplinary outpatient service for advanced thyroid cancer at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2023 to December 2023 were selected as the research subjects. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Thyroid Cancer module (MDASI-THY) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The correlation between symptom severity and negative emotions was determined by Spearman correlation analysis. Results Disturbed sleep was the symptom with the highest incidence (74.4%) and the greatest severity (3.0 points), while mood distress was the symptom with the highest incidence (63.3%) and the greatest severity (2.0 points). 71 patients (39.4%) had anxiety, and 62 patients (34.4%) had depression. All symptoms and symptom interference were positively correlated with anxiety and depression (P < 0.05). Conclusion Patients with advanced thyroid cancer have multiple symptoms that seriously affect their daily lives and emotions. Medical staff should conduct targeted observation and preventive treatment to reduce the burden of symptoms and improve the negative emotions of patients.